After erasing 7-run deficit, Halos lose late

September 16th, 2020

The Angels completed an unlikely seven-run comeback, but it wasn’t enough in a disappointing 9-8 loss to the D-backs on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.

The Halos erased an 8-1 deficit to tie the game in the sixth inning, only to see reliever Matt Andriese allow a go-ahead leadoff homer to David Peralta in the eighth. Los Angeles trailed early following a tough start from right-hander Julio Teheran, who allowed four runs on three hits (all homers) in two innings as his ERA now sits at 8.90.

“We gave them too much too early,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “We had a great vibe the whole time. They just ambushed us. They had a lot of home runs tonight. And that was a difference in the ballgame, obviously. Matty Andriese threw the ball really well, just hung the changeup a little bit to Peralta. He's a very good hitter. But I loved the fight.”

With 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Angels have fallen to 4 1/2 games back of the Astros for second place in the American League West. The first- and second-place finishers in each division make the playoffs in the expanded 16-team postseason.

The Angels were in a 7-0 hole in the third inning after Teheran struggled and Kole Calhoun smacked two early homers against his former club in his first game as a visitor at Angel Stadium. Teheran gave up one of those homers, which was a two-run blast in the first. Left-hander Hoby Milner relieved Teheran, then gave up a three-run homer to Calhoun in the third.

It was a continuation of a tough season for Teheran, who joined the club on a one-year deal after posting a 3.67 ERA over nine seasons with the Braves. He tested positive for COVID-19 in late June and has failed to make the expected impact in the rotation after his late start.

“That’s something I’ve been thinking about,” Teheran said. “Obviously, it’s been hard. I wasn’t expecting this. But what I can control is every time I get the ball, trying to do my best. I’ll keep working, because it hasn’t finished yet. But every time I get the ball, just go out there and compete, because I consider myself a competitor. Just work and end up strong.”

The Angels started chipping away with Jared Walsh slugging a solo homer in the third off left-hander Madison Bumgarner, giving Walsh his fifth homer over his past six games. The D-backs, though, scored again in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Pavin Smith to make it 8-1.

A five-run fifth changed things for the Angels, as they rallied against Bumgarner. Walsh hit a two-run double, while Anthony Rendon added an RBI double of his own. Justin Upton smacked a two-run homer to left to cut the Halos' deficit to 8-6.

The Angels tied it in the sixth with three straight doubles to open the inning off Bumgarner, including RBI doubles from Andrelton Simmons and David Fletcher. It chased Bumgarner, who gave up eight runs on a career-high 13 hits over 5 1/3 innings in the first start of his 12-year career against the Halos.

“The whole time, we thought we could come back in that game,” Maddon said. “Bumgarner was not throwing like he typically can. That was a difference-maker for us, and we took advantage of that. So, that was part of it also, because I've seen this guy virtually unhittable, but we battled. We got back into it, good position to win it, we didn't do it.”

In the sixth, the Angels had a runner at third base with one out, but Mike Trout struck out and Anthony Rendon flied out as they failed to capitalize, leading to Peralta's eighth-inning solo homer off a 2-2 changeup from Andriese being the difference.

“We had that opportunity to go ahead with the runner at third,” Maddon said. “Walshy moves the runner, and we don't get him in. Those are the kind of moments that you've got to get done to get to the promised land.”